Notched compactor cleaner finger

Abstract

A cleaner finger assembly for cleaning compactor teeth on a compactor wheel of a compactor machine includes at least one cleaner finger assembly. The cleaner finger assembly includes a cleaner finger stack and a plurality of fasteners for mounting the cleaner finger stack. The cleaner finger stack includes at least one cleaner finger with a longitudinal axis, a tip for engaging a compactor wheel surface, and a plurality of mounting apertures. The cleaner finger also includes a notch extending from an edge of the cleaner finger toward the longitudinal axis. The cleaner finger failing at the location of the notch when the cleaner finger tip is engaged by debris with a tension force greater than a tip anchor tension capacity of the finger tip anchoring mechanism.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A compactor wheel cleaner assembly for cleaning compactor teeth on a compactor wheel of a compactor machine, the compactor wheel cleaning assembly comprising:
 a rigid support arm; 
 a cleaner finger assembly mounted to the rigid support arm, each cleaner finger assembly comprising:
 a cleaner finger stack including a stacked cleaner finger, the cleaner finger stack including an engagement end for scraping debris from the compactor wheel and a mounting end opposite the engagement end for mounting the cleaner finger stack to the rigid support arm, each cleaner finger having a tip proximate the engagement end and a plurality of mounting apertures proximate the mounting end, each cleaner finger including a notch positioned between the engagement end and the mounting end, the notch extending from an edge of the cleaner finger toward a center of the cleaner finger; 
 wherein the cleaner finger stack is arranged such that when debris on the compactor wheel engages the engagement end of the cleaner finger stack with a force greater than a load force capacity of the cleaner finger stack at the location of the notch, the cleaner finger will fail at the location of the notch; and 
 
 a plurality of fasteners for mounting the cleaner finger stack to the rigid support arm. 
 
     
     
       2. The compactor wheel cleaner assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid support arm includes at least one gusset, each gusset corresponding to one cleaner finger assembly and including a plurality of bore holes, each bore hole dimensioned to accommodate installation of one fastener. 
     
     
       3. The compactor wheel cleaner assembly of  claim 2 , wherein each fastener is a bolt installed from a bottom surface of the cleaner finger through one of the plurality of mounting apertures of each cleaner finger in the cleaner finger stack, and into one of the gusset bore holes. 
     
     
       4. The compactor wheel cleaner assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a width of the engagement end of the finger cleaner at the tip is smaller than a width of the cleaner finger proximate the mounting end of the finger cleaner stack. 
     
     
       5. The compactor wheel cleaner assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a load force capacity of the mounting end of the finger cleaner stack is greater than the load force capacity of the finger cleaner stack at the location of the notch. 
     
     
       6. A cleaner finger assembly for cleaning debris from a compactor wheel of a compactor machine, the compactor machine having a compactor body, a plurality of compactor wheels, and a compactor wheel cleaner assembly with a cleaner assembly support arm disposed proximate an outer surface of the compactor wheel, the cleaner finger assembly comprising:
 a cleaner finger stack, each cleaner finger stack including a stackable cleaner finger, each cleaner finger stack including an engagement end for scraping debris from the compactor wheel and a mounting end opposite the engagement end for mounting the cleaner finger stack to the cleaner assembly support arm, each cleaner finger having a tip proximate the engagement end and a plurality of mounting apertures proximate the mounting end, each cleaner finger including a notch positioned between the engagement end and the mounting end, the notch extending from an edge of the cleaner finger toward a center of the cleaner finger; 
 wherein the cleaner finger stack is arranged such that when debris on the compactor wheel engages the engagement end of the cleaner finger stack with a force greater than a load force capacity of the cleaner finger stack at the location of the notch, the cleaner finger will fail at the location of the notch; and 
 a plurality of fasteners for mounting each cleaner finger stack to the cleaner assembly support arm. 
 
     
     
       7. The cleaner finger assembly of  claim 6 , wherein each of the compactor wheels includes a plurality of teeth arranged in rows and evenly spaced longitudinally across an outer surface of the compactor wheel. 
     
     
       8. The compactor wheel cleaner assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the cleaner assembly support arm includes at least one gusset, each gusset corresponding to one cleaner finger assembly and including a plurality of bore holes, each bore hole dimensioned to accommodate installation of one fastener. 
     
     
       9. The compactor wheel cleaner assembly of  claim 8 , wherein each stackable cleaner finger includes six mounting apertures, and wherein each cleaner finger stack is mounted to the cleaner assembly support arm using five fasteners. 
     
     
       10. The compactor wheel cleaner assembly of  claim 9 , wherein each of the five fasteners are inserted through corresponding mounting apertures in each finger cleaner in the cleaner finger stack, and installed in one of the gusset bore holes. 
     
     
       11. The compactor wheel cleaner assembly of  claim 10 , wherein each cleaner finger includes two notches, the two notches extending from opposing edges of the cleaner finger toward the center of the cleaner finger. 
     
     
       12. The compactor wheel cleaner assembly of  claim 11 , wherein each cleaner finger stack includes two stacked cleaner fingers, each cleaner finger stack having, after mounting, a first collective load force capacity at the location of the cleaner finger notches and a second collective load force capacity at the mounting end. 
     
     
       13. The compactor wheel cleaner assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the second collective load force capacity is greater than the first collective load force capacity such that when debris on the compactor wheel engages the cleaner finger tip with a force greater than the first collective load force capacity, the cleaner finger fails at the location of the notch. 
     
     
       14. The compactor wheel cleaner assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the first collective load force capacity is 47 kN. 
     
     
       15. The compactor wheel cleaner assembly of  claim 7 , wherein each cleaner finger tip is dimensioned to engage the compactor wheel between adjacent rows of teeth. 
     
     
       16. A method of cleaning compactor teeth on a compactor wheel of a compactor machine, the compactor machine having a compactor body and a plurality of compactor wheels, each compactor wheel having a plurality of teeth arranged in rows and evenly spaced longitudinally across an outer surface of the compactor wheel, the method comprising:
 stacking a notched cleaner finger to form a cleaner finger stack, the notched cleaner finger having a notch; 
 fastening the cleaner finger stack to a rigid support arm using a plurality of fasteners, each cleaner finger stack having an engagement end for scraping debris from the compactor wheel and a mounting end opposite the engagement end, the cleaner finger stack having a collective load force capacity at the notch; 
 wherein the notch is positioned between the engagement end and the mounting end, the notch extending from an edge of the cleaner finger toward a center of the cleaner finger; 
 mounting the rigid support arm to the compactor body proximate one of the plurality of compactor wheels using a plurality of fasteners, the support arm being installed such that each cleaner finger stack is positioned between pairs of adjacent tooth rows; 
 operating the compactor machine in a forward or reverse direction; 
 compacting debris using the plurality of teeth on the plurality of compactor wheels; 
 scraping, by the engagement end of each cleaner finger stack, residual debris from between the pairs of adjacent tooth rows; 
 sustaining, at the engagement end of the cleaner finger stack, a force greater than the collective load force capacity; 
 failing of the notched cleaner finger at the position of the notch. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of cleaning compactor teeth of  claim 16 , wherein each cleaner finger stack includes two cleaner fingers. 
     
     
       18. The method of cleaning compactor teeth of  claim 17 , wherein the collective load force capacity is 47 kN. 
     
     
       19. The method of cleaning compactor teeth of  claim 16 , wherein the failing step further includes bending or breaking of each cleaner finger in the cleaner finger stack.